We did it

In December 2009, I had a tumor on my thyroid that scared me and reminded me that life is short and there isn't time for "shoulda woulda coulda." In December 2009, I signed up for my pre-requisites for nursing school, applied for LPN school at NCKTC, applied for every scholarship I could find, and dove head first into school. In December 2009, my crazy husband said, "You've talked about being a nurse for 6 years. We can make it work. It's your turn."  And so, it began.

Last Friday, I graduated from Cloud County Community College with an associates degree in nursing. I am officially an LPN and am one big test away from being an RN.

I work at a local hospital and love what I do. Truly, LOVE what I do. I'm still studying, because of that big test coming up in three weeks. But I'm not driving to Concordia (or Beloit) daily, plus working, plus mommying, plus just trying to be me, plus trying to make do on one income. I am so relieved about how much easier our lives are about to be that it literally brings me to tears.

Now, we will still seem crazy busy at times. We have four beautiful girls who are signed up for softball (three of them), 4-H camp, Pioneer Camp, vacation bible school, and Totus Tuus.  We will still have swimming lessons and eight weeks of speech therapy twice a week. We'll still be doing our Slick Chick Summer School and the library reading program, to make sure they don't regress over the summer. We have literally thousands of plants growing around this place, and Farmers Market twice a week. And, I'll be working three nights a week.

But we'll also have train rides and fishing trips and water parks and camping trips and zoo days and lazy days and sleepovers and playdates and Saturday morning runs and sidewalk chalk and redneck water slides. We'll have family meal time and, best of all, no more Friday morning tests and Thursday nights of "Go to sleep, girls, and don't fight me on this tonight. I have a huge test tomorrow."

The drive home. Time to kick up your feet.

I get to be wife and mom and nurse. Not, nursing student.

Thank you, God.